Lemon Cake Roll (Lemon Roulade)

Cross section view of the Lemon Roulade cake with powdered sugar on top.

5 from 3 votes

A light and fatless lemon sponge cake, rolled with whipped cream and lemon curd, this Lemon Roulade is tangy and zesty and the perfect spring cake.

Prep Time20

Cook Time9

Cooling1

Total Time1 29

Course: Afternoon Kaffee, Dessert

Cuisine: German

Keyword: lemon

Servings:

Calories: 310kcal

Equipment

Mixer

Ingredients

Lemon Cake Batter

6 egg yolks
4 egg whites
60 grams granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
65 grams ap flour
15 grams corn starch

Filling

450 grams lemon curd approximately 450 grams (does not need to be exact)
300 mililiters heavy cream cold

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Instructions

Lemon Cake Batter

Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Place a rack in the center of the oven.
Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or a sheet of parchment paper.
Place 4 egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer and 6 egg yolks into a separate medium bowl.
Add half of the sugar into the bowl with the egg whites.
Beat the egg whites with the whisk attachment first on medium low speed until frothy and then increase the speed to medium high until stiff peaks form.
Just before the egg whites have hit stiff peaks, add the remaining sugar into the bowl with the egg yolks and whisk until fully combined.
Add in the lemon zest and whisk again.
Once stiff peaks have formed, remove the bowl from the mixer and pour the whisked egg yolks on top.
Fold the egg yolks into the egg whites until fully combined - being careful not to knock all of the air out of the whites.
Sift the corn starch and flour into the egg mixture and fold to combine.

Bake the Cake

Once fully mixed, pour the batter onto the lined baking sheet.
Lightly spread the batter over the baking sheet all the way to the edges.
Make the cake as even as possible as it won't spread as it bakes.
Bake the cake in the middle of the preheated oven.
First bake for 6 minutes, then rotate the cake and bake for 3-4 minutes until just barely golden brown on top.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place on a cooling rack for 3 minutes.
Gently run a dinner knife along all edges of the baking sheet to loosen the cake from the edges of the baking sheet.
Dust the surface of the cake with powdered sugar and lay a thin kitchen towel over the surface of the cake.
Holding the towel to the edges of the baking sheet, flip the baking sheet over so that the cake can fall away, onto the towel.
Starting at one short edge, roll the cake between the towel and parchment paper or baking mat all the way to the other end.
Once rolled, set the cake aside to cool fully before filling.

Filling & Assembly

Whip the cream to medium stiff peaks.
Fold half of the whipped cream into the cooled lemon curd.
Then pour the lemon curd and whipped cream mixture into the remaining whipped cream and fold to combine.
Carefully unroll the cake.
Very gently peel the parchment or baking mat off of the cake.
Spread the whipped cream and lemon curd mixture over the cake leaving a 1" border on the two long edges and the short side furthest away.
If you have too much filling, you can always store it in the fridge and eat with fresh berries on top or add more to the top of the roll before serving.
Use the towel to lift and roll the short side of the cake, closest to you, over the filling.
If needed use your hands to gently tighten the roll.
Once rolled, wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 3-4 hours or overnight so the filling has a chance to firm up before slicing it.
If it seems to soft, wrap the cake in aluminum foil to support it while it chills or prop it up on each side with other items in your fridge.
Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar and optionally so fresh soft whipped cream.

Notes

When mixing the batter, be sure the mixture is fully mixed - you don't want any clumps of egg whites or dry ingredients left. Do not over bake this cake as it will dry out and crack, it should still be quite pale when finished baking. This is best eaten after it has a chance to set but can definitely be served immediately after rolling - it will just be a little messy. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

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